Art lovers should keep an eye out for London Burning: Portraits from a Creative City, a lavish volume that is due to be co-published by TransGlobe Publishing and Thames & Hudson this month. It focuses on “creative personalities young and old, highbrow and populist, establishment figures and newbies” in the UK capital, including Nicholas Serota, the director of the Tate, and the ceramicist Edmund de Waal. But the most colourful character is undoubtedly the Indian-born artist Raqib Shaw. Asked if he attended London’s Central Saint Martins art school, he replies: “Can you believe what they fucking did to St Martins?! Luxury hotels and flats?! It’s tragic!” The interviewer then says: “In 2007, you sold the highest priced painting by an Indian painter ever” (the artist’s 2003 work The Garden of Earthly Delights III sold for £2.7m at auction). Shaw responds: “I did not get any money from it, darling. I really don’t know what the fuck you are on about.” Don’t hold back, Raqib.
